Wednesday, July 16, 2003

"Every year, come January, I have made a habit of searching out lists of recommended short speculative fiction (that is, science fiction, fantasy, and horror, up to novella length). I then read as many of the recommended stories as possible before the deadline for voting in the Locus Awards.

Because the only award for which I vote is the Locus Award, I try to follow Locus' rules for annual eligibility when compiling my list. That is, magazines are eligible based on cover date, and books are eligible in the year in which they became generally available.

It is just one person's opinion, of course, but anyone who puts a story I wrote on a short list of recommended reading (with authors like Joyce Carol Oates and Gene Wolfe) does more than light up my day. I feel like doing cartwheels. Here is someone literate (read his Live Journal and see all the stuff he reads) and who doesn't know me from Adam - and he thinks my story is okay. And his list includes print anthologies, magazine fiction and online fiction.

And if, and if somehow beyond my wildest dreams, "L'Aquilone" is even nominated for any of these big awards, then... wait, wait, too much blood in my head for a moment there. But then again, it's all right to dream a little, right? Right.